1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuously processing a cocoa-butter containing or similar fat-containing mass, particularly a chocolate mass. The apparatus includes an outer stationary cooling cylinder, wherein the mass to be processed is pumped through the interior of the stationary cooling cylinder from one end face thereof into the area of the other end face. The apparatus further includes a driven agitating element in the interior of the cooling cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an apparatus of the above-described type which is known in the art, three cylinders are used which are connected in series one behind the other. A driven screw forming the agitating element is arranged in each cylinder. The cylinders form cooling or conditioning zones. The mass to be processed may deposit at the screws, wherein this deposited mass then no longer participates or only participates to a limited extent in the actual processing procedure. The screw also influences the conveyance of the mass through the cylinder, wherein the degree of conveyance is determined by the pitch of the screw. This is not always desirable because this limits the flexibility. Moreover, the apparatus is complicated because several cylinders must be connected one behind the other in series in order to be able to adjust the appropriate processing parameters for each cooling or conditioning stage.
DE-OS 88 17 255 discloses another apparatus which only requires one cylinder, however, in this cylinders a plurality of cooling levels are arranged one above the other. An agitating tool is moved through each level. Each agitating tool is mounted on a common drive shaft. In this apparatus it is also not possible to avoid a build-up of the mass in the individual cooling chambers.